What would you say to your 18-year-old self?

[bearlyactive]

This has probably been done before, but a group chat of mine was talking about this earlier and I didn't know what to say!

What would you say?

Don’t waste your time in Australia.

Only because I am old.........

Always save even if it's not much
Get a pension
Don't think you have to have a boyfriend
Don't get married too young
Always have your own bank account even when you do get married
Travel
You can be anything you want to be, you just have to do it
Dream

There is another thread for 16yo self. Perhaps where the idea came from or vice versa.

Your right not going to uni will be fine, save up as much as you can, you will get more confident, the crap in your head will go away, keep reading Mumsnet!

(Was only 7 years ago, I'm sure I'd have more in time)

It's okay (more than okay) to be a lesbian. Come out to your parents. Losing family will be hard, but one day you'll have an amazing wife and son who more than make up for it.

Your dreams aren't stupid. Don't be ashamed to tell people you want to become an academic, because one day you'll get there!

Smart girls carry condoms!

Do not go to university! Work, and take longer to decide what you want to do.

Life is going to get worse so go ahead with that suicide attempt.

Put the vodka and that nice young man down, go home and do your schoolwork

Get a decent job - one that really interests you

Don't worry about men / feel sorry for horrible abusive people

You will still be alive in 20+ years so stop thinking you are dying when you have panic attacks

You are swapping one arsehole for another. Swallow your pride and run home to your parents.

Be more confident! You won't believe it but in 5 years you will have the courage to stand up and deliver presentations to huge audiences, you will no longer shake with nerves when you have to talk to someone new.

Enjoy being a size 8, this won't last forever 🤣

Go visit your nana and tell her you love her

Take a few more risks.

Don't move out , stand up for yourself , have fun but don't let it go to your head, work instead of going to college. So many things

Forgot to add -learn to drive !!!

Know your worth.

And don't let the words of others decide how you should live your life

Carry on as you are. Right up till the point where you have your children then leave your husband immediately, study and change careers at that point. He will take everything from you if you don't and you'll spend years recovering from his abuse and paying back the huge debts he ran up.

Some of these are really sad

Stop chasing your mother's approval, you'll never get it.

Don't feel like a failure for not going to university straight from school. At 30 you'll be exactly where you want to be.

DO NOT go nuts spending like a Rockefeller on credit cards.

Be yourself and be happy with who you are !

Retake your crap a levels or do some other fe training before you go and do a pointless degree that won't lead anywhere. You will get over this crap boyfriend and he will beg you back in a few months and the thought of being with him again will be the worst thing ever.
Stop smoking

buckeejit your advice is useful for me as a 43 year old now

Don't be hung up about getting a boyfriend, enjoy being single, enjoy going out with friends and enjoy being slim!!

You'll get the opportunity to go and watch Nirvana play so you go! You'll never get the chance again.

Stop getting so drunk all the time,it’s fun now but in a few years time you will lose friendships and ruin opportunities. Just because a man likes you, you don’t have to like him and go out with him. If he is being an arsehole, he is an arsehole. Stop using men for validation. Get your thyroid tested-the way you feel isn’t normal. Things will get easier and much better, in twenty years you will own your own home, have great friends and family and be boring as fuck-and love it.